Kindermusik teacher brings program to schools

Published: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 9:04 p.m.

Saluda School preschool students were lying on their bellies on an oval rug. Hands out in front of them, they wiggled their fingers toward the center of the oval as Bryant Belin guided them through different ways to connect to music.

Belin, owner of VP (Vocal Pedagogy) Music Studios in Hendersonville, operates a Kindermusik program for the Polk County school system and at Tryon Fine Arts Center.

The 30-year-old has traveled a long way in fulfilling his passion for music. Belin grew up in Hartsville, S.C., and graduated from Coker College in his hometown. He initially majored in graphic design, despite singing in the college choir and getting a heavy music influence from his family.

That all changed after a class about figure drawing. His professor, Jim Boden, critiqued a drawing of Belin's. His main critique was a lack of passion, Belin said.

"I spent the next two days thinking about what he said," he said.

It was then that it struck him. Belin began thinking about his mom and other family members singing in church. He also sang in church frequently.

Music was his passion, and music was the path he wanted to follow.

"I actually thanked (Dr. Boden) for that critique," Belin said. "That's what put me in the right direction."

He earned his Bachelor of Arts in music performance and will be finished with his master's degree in May.

Since finishing his undergraduate work, Belin has been working hard to make music his life. He initially moved to North Carolina for a job at Mediacom in 2008. That job fell through, and he began calling local churches.

He got a job working at Grace Lutheran Church with the choir's bass section, then followed that with a job at the Congregational Church in Tryon, where he worked with tenors and as a soloist.

It was in October 2010 that he opened VP Music Studios in Hendersonville. Belin offers vocal lessons and contracts with other artists to offer music lessons for everything from piano to cello and piccolo.

"I've always wanted to teach," he said.

In January 2012, he took that desire to another level when he began teaching Kindermusik at Tryon Fine Arts Center. Belin was well known in Tryon, said Mary Ann Carruth, director of marketing and arts in education at the center.

She noticed that a standalone music program for preschoolers wasn't being offered in the community. Kindermusik can be taught to kids from newborn to 7 years old. The program offers developmental education in music. Belin got his Kindermusik license, which allows him to teach anywhere in the world.

"Bryant and I worked real hard to build the program in the community," Carruth said.

She began looking at ways the center could do some outreach, and the idea to offer Kindermusik to preschools or to the county school district's preschools came to her. The pair did a demonstration at the Kiwanis Club of Tryon. Afterward, they pitched the idea of doing Kindermusik in the Polk County school district. It was well-received, and the Kiwanis donated money to the project. The school district covered the rest.

"It's an amazing gift" for the district, said Lynn Lewis, Saluda School preschool teacher.

Saluda School has a music program, she said, but not all of the schools' music programs are consistent. That makes the program that much more important, Lewis said.

"They find that music helps the child to learn," she said.

And Belin is a natural, Carruth said.

"He knows how to work the whole family," she said. "He's committed to what he's doing."

That commitment can be seen in his travel mileage. Belin works at Aeroflow Healthcare in Asheville, where he lives. But his music studio is in Hendersonville, and he travels to Polk County three days a week for Kindermusik.

It's all worth it, he said, especially when it comes to teaching Kindermusik.

"That age group is often times left out with music lessons," he said. "I wanted to bridge that gap."

As he taught the kids Friday at Saluda School, the smile on his face revealed Belin's love for music. He patted his hands on his thighs, smiled at the kids and told them to "feel the beat and nod to it."

The children responded with smiles, offbeat thigh pats and a lot of head nodding.

"He's an excellent teacher," Carruth said. "It's really a delight to watch him in the class."

<p>Saluda School preschool students were lying on their bellies on an oval rug. Hands out in front of them, they wiggled their fingers toward the center of the oval as Bryant Belin guided them through different ways to connect to music.</p><p>Belin, owner of VP (Vocal Pedagogy) Music Studios in Hendersonville, operates a Kindermusik program for the Polk County school system and at Tryon Fine Arts Center.</p><p>The 30-year-old has traveled a long way in fulfilling his passion for music. Belin grew up in Hartsville, S.C., and graduated from Coker College in his hometown. He initially majored in graphic design, despite singing in the college choir and getting a heavy music influence from his family. </p><p>That all changed after a class about figure drawing. His professor, Jim Boden, critiqued a drawing of Belin's. His main critique was a lack of passion, Belin said.</p><p>"I spent the next two days thinking about what he said," he said. </p><p>It was then that it struck him. Belin began thinking about his mom and other family members singing in church. He also sang in church frequently. </p><p>Music was his passion, and music was the path he wanted to follow.</p><p>"I actually thanked (Dr. Boden) for that critique," Belin said. "That's what put me in the right direction."</p><p>He earned his Bachelor of Arts in music performance and will be finished with his master's degree in May. </p><p>Since finishing his undergraduate work, Belin has been working hard to make music his life. He initially moved to North Carolina for a job at Mediacom in 2008. That job fell through, and he began calling local churches. </p><p>He got a job working at Grace Lutheran Church with the choir's bass section, then followed that with a job at the Congregational Church in Tryon, where he worked with tenors and as a soloist.</p><p>It was in October 2010 that he opened VP Music Studios in Hendersonville. Belin offers vocal lessons and contracts with other artists to offer music lessons for everything from piano to cello and piccolo. </p><p>"I've always wanted to teach," he said. </p><p>In January 2012, he took that desire to another level when he began teaching Kindermusik at Tryon Fine Arts Center. Belin was well known in Tryon, said Mary Ann Carruth, director of marketing and arts in education at the center. </p><p>She noticed that a standalone music program for preschoolers wasn't being offered in the community. Kindermusik can be taught to kids from newborn to 7 years old. The program offers developmental education in music. Belin got his Kindermusik license, which allows him to teach anywhere in the world. </p><p>"Bryant and I worked real hard to build the program in the community," Carruth said.</p><p>She began looking at ways the center could do some outreach, and the idea to offer Kindermusik to preschools or to the county school district's preschools came to her. The pair did a demonstration at the Kiwanis Club of Tryon. Afterward, they pitched the idea of doing Kindermusik in the Polk County school district. It was well-received, and the Kiwanis donated money to the project. The school district covered the rest. </p><p>"It's an amazing gift" for the district, said Lynn Lewis, Saluda School preschool teacher. </p><p>Saluda School has a music program, she said, but not all of the schools' music programs are consistent. That makes the program that much more important, Lewis said.</p><p>"They find that music helps the child to learn," she said. </p><p>And Belin is a natural, Carruth said.</p><p>"He knows how to work the whole family," she said. "He's committed to what he's doing."</p><p>That commitment can be seen in his travel mileage. Belin works at Aeroflow Healthcare in Asheville, where he lives. But his music studio is in Hendersonville, and he travels to Polk County three days a week for Kindermusik. </p><p>It's all worth it, he said, especially when it comes to teaching Kindermusik.</p><p>"That age group is often times left out with music lessons," he said. "I wanted to bridge that gap."</p><p>As he taught the kids Friday at Saluda School, the smile on his face revealed Belin's love for music. He patted his hands on his thighs, smiled at the kids and told them to "feel the beat and nod to it."</p><p>The children responded with smiles, offbeat thigh pats and a lot of head nodding.</p><p>"He's an excellent teacher," Carruth said. "It's really a delight to watch him in the class."</p><p>Reach Millwood at 828-694-7881 or at joey.millwood@blueridgenow.com.</p>